The $1.2M sales question

Most people treat sales calls like a checklist.
They follow a script. Ask surface-level questions.
And then lowball themselves into $2.5K/month retainers.

Here’s how to stop leaving millions on the table—and price based on value instead of hours:

→ Start with success metrics.
Ask: “What does success look like for you?”
Push further: “What’s the business value of hitting that goal?”

If they say success = $100M in revenue...
Your next question is:
“If we could guarantee that outcome, is it fair for us to take 10%?”

Every buyer says yes—because it’s logical.
You’re tying your price to impact.

→ Here’s the math.
Take the potential value ($100M) × your take (10%) × odds of success (say, 50%).
= $5M price point.

→ Offer pricing tiers.

• High: $5M

• Mid: $2.5M

• Low: $1.25M

This instantly reframes your value—and your customer’s expectations.
No more fighting for budget scraps.
No more overservicing tiny deals.

And your delivery team?
They’ll thank you for working with fewer, better-fit clients—and finally having the budget to drive real impact.

This is the future of pricing—especially with AI-based services.
When outcomes matter more than hours, your pricing should reflect that.

To unlocking higher-value deals,
Eric Siu

P.S.

1 - We’re hiring AI-forward performance ad creative strategists, AI-forward SEOs and paid media people, AI short form creators, AI automation interns, and more.. If you’re interested, apply at our Careers page.
2 - We launched ClickFlow to help automate and scale SEO. We’re giving away 10,000 words for free - sign up for the waitlist at the link.
3 - Interested in creating 1:1 personalized LinkedIn ads in minutes instead of weeks? Sign up for the Karrot.ai waitlist.
4 - If you want to grow faster using the power of AI, my agency Single Grain is offering free marketing plans to Leveling Up newsletter subscribers, check it out here.
5 - For more in-depth marketing content, check out my Leveling Up YouTube channel
6 - To help this newsletter improve, fill out this survey